Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, March 15, 2021:
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Even though the rate of vaccinations continues to improve -- a record 3 million shots were given on Saturday -- the decline of new cases in the U.S. appears to have leveled off, raising concerns that the country is plateauing at a level that’s still too high. There are ominous signs abroad, too. Much of Italy is going into another lockdown effective today as it deals with an exponential rise in cases brought on by at least one of the new variants. The entire country will lockdown for Easter weekend. At least six European countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over concerns about blood clots, even though the EU’s drug regulator says the benefits still outweigh the risks. CNN
VACCINE ELIGIBILITY
A bunch of states are expanding their vaccine eligibility requirements today. California is opening it up to anyone with a serious underlying condition. Georgia goes 55 and up plus anyone with high-risk conditions. Texas expands to 50 and up. New Jersey adds transit workers and other public-facing personnel. New York opens its next phase on Wednesday, and is now authorizing four hours paid time off for every public and private state employee. BI
CUOMO LATEST
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “vaccine czar” has reportedly been calling county officials across the state to gauge their loyalty to the governor amid his widening scandals. The calls led at least one local official to believe the implication was that vaccine supply could suffer if their loyalty was deemed insufficient. Cuomo reiterated on Friday that he had no plans to resign, after the New York Senate delegation called on him to step down. NY TIMES
WINTER STORM
There are 27 inches of snow on the ground at Denver International Airport, making the weekend’s winter blast the fourth-largest on record for the Mile High City. Some mountain locations recorded 60 inches. The system is moving across the Midwest today, creating a travel nightmare for the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. TRACK
AMERICAN OPTIMISM
Americans are growing increasingly optimistic about the next few months. The latest CBS News poll shows 64 percent of respondents think the vaccine rollout is going well; 55 percent will get or already have gotten vaccinated; 75 percent are in favor of the new stimulus package and 71 percent think the law is going to help the working class. Last week, a Politico poll found 50 percent of Americans think the country is on the right track (that number has rarely been above water in the last 20 years). CBS NEWS
STREAMING WARS
Disney’s streaming platform is such a smashing success that it’s now on pace to overtake Netflix in the next three years. Disney announced earlier this month that Disney+ has more than 100 million subscribers after 16 months. It took Netflix a decade to reach that milestone. Between Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, Disney is expected to steal Netflix’s crown as the world’s top streamer by 2024. GUARDIAN
LET'S DANCE
The field of 68 is set for March Madness. Gonzaga, Illinois, Baylor and Michigan are the top seeds. Four teams that didn’t make the cut -- Louisville, Colorado State, St. Louis and Mississippi -- are on standby for the first round in case any team has to drop out by tomorrow due to COVID protocols. SEE THE BRACKET
GRAMMY HISTORY
Women ruled the night at the Grammys: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish were the big winners from the socially-distanced show at the Staples Center. Beyoncé broke the record for most Grammy wins by a female -- and any singer, male or female -- with 28. Before the show, she and daughter Blue Ivy Carter won the award for best music video for Brown Skin Girl, making 9-year-old Blue Ivy one of the youngest Grammy winners ever. BILLBOARD
SPOTTED...
...Alex Rodriguez, telling a TMZ photog he’s “not single” amid reports that he and fiance Jennifer Lopez had called it quits: SEE PIC
...Yo-Yo Ma, giving an impromptu concert to Mass. residents waiting in line to get vaccinated: WATCH
LEFTOVERS: CHEER MOM
A Pennsylvania woman has been arrested on charges that she created deepfake videos of her daughter’s cheerleading rivals in compromising situations and sent them to the coaches in order to get the girls kicked off the squad. Raffaela Spone is charged with cyber harassment of a child. The case is bringing new attention to the ethical concerns with deepfake technology, now that it is becoming much more advanced. PENNLIVE
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